The present invention is generally directed to thermoelectric materials, and more particularly, to methods for enhancing thermoelectric properties of alloys.
Thermoelectric effects are routinely employed in cooling or power generation applications. For example, thermoelectric devices that utilize Seebeck effect or Peltier effect for power generation and heat pumping are known. A variety of alloys that exhibit thermoelectric properties can be utilized for fabricating such devices. A thermoelectric figure-of-merit
                    (            ⁢      Z        =                            S          2                ⁢        σ            k        ,where S is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, and k is the thermal conductivity) is typically employed as the indicator of an alloy's thermoelectric properties. In some cases, a dimensionless figure-of-merit (ZT) is employed, where T can be an average temperature of the thermoelectric material. An alloy's thermoelectric properties can in turn affect coefficient-of-performance (COP) and efficiency of thermoelectric devices in which the allhoy is incorporated.
Accordingly, there is a need for improving thermoelectric properties of alloys, especially those that are routinely utilized in fabricating thermoelectric devices.